Modi’s US visit – an opportunity for forging strong multidimensional ties

to be shared between both the democracies, and the meeting of their leaders is a hope for the whole world that democracy will ultimately triumph over any other system of government. The more the world embraces democracy, emulating the strong democracies like the US and India, the better it is for the future of this planet.

With the World Test Championship (WTC) under their belt, the Australian team is raring to take on the might of the English team for the historic Ashes 2023. This contest will also begin the next cycle of Test championship for both Australia and England sides. As of now experts are saying that chances for the series victory are equal for both the teams.

While Australia has perhaps a more balanced team in terms of both batting and bowling, England will have the home advantage. And if history is anything to go by, Australia has not won a test series in England for the last 22 years. This is a record which might tumble this time, as the Australian team is all geared up after defeating a strong Indian side in the WTC final recently. The spectacular performance of the Australian team, led by a determined Pat Cummins, and a resilient Steve Smith may well be replicated against the English side as well. But the World Test Championship was played in a different spirit. Ashes has always been a different kind of test of endurance and power; the team that shows perseverance has always had the better chance of winning. And the Australian side is all buoyed up and will take on any side in world cricket as its confidence is skyrocketing being the champion side that it has now become.

However, defeating England on English soil won’t be a cake walk by any stretch of imagination. Ben Stokes has always been highly competitive when it comes to his personal cricket and that of his team. He will obviously leave no stone unturned to defeat the Aussie side.

The English side is quite exciting, with Stokes at the helm, and Joe Root bringing the balance and stability to batting with his experience and skills. Harris Brook is an exciting player to watch, and under head coach Brendon McCullum, the English side is known to play fearless cricket. It is McCullum’s philosophy to play to win, and play without any fear of losing the game. This makes the English side difficult to tame, and can upset the plans of the world champions. The Australian side must therefore leave aside any room for complacency. On paper they may be the world champions, but it is now a fresh start to the next round of Test championship contest, and therefore it calls for another kind of mindset and a fresh challenge.

The Australian side will look towards Steve Smith to provide solidity in the middle order. David Warner may have problems against Anderson and Stuart Broad’s attack. Anderson on his day can swing the ball prodigiously unleashing unplayable balls at times, and sometimes with uncanny frequency. But Travis Head will be all pumped up after his century in the WTC final match against India. He can devastate any attack in a Test match and has now won that reputation for Australia. Scott Boland has done his reputation no harm in the WTC final and might find himself in the final eleven against England. The duo of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc can rattle any opposition.

All in all, a fascinating contest on the cards and the crowd will get the entertainment worth the money it will have spent on the tickets. This is the contest that the cricket fans wait for and it has always produced history-making records one way or the other. As the teams struggle for supremacy, cricket will be the winner all along. It is, therefore as much a battle on the field, as it is off the field. The team which will have a better control over its nerves will prevail. The cricket fans in England, unlike soccer fans, are very knowledgeable and gentle. They understand the game better than any other crowd in the world, and know how to appreciate the game of cricket no matter which side is on the top. The real entertainment of Test cricket lies in perseverance will a skillful performance.

All departments of the gamebatting, bowling, fielding and wicket keeping are a spectacle to watch. An outstanding catch will get the adrenalin going, and the crowd feels the vibrations raising among them, as much as it does on the field where the spectacle unfolds. And this is what cricket is all about, go and express yourself and in the process enjoy the game and the setting it is played in.

By Rabindra Mukherji

Indian Prime Minister Narendra

Modi will be in the United States for an official state visit on June 22. Modi’s scheduled visit to the US starts from June 21-24 after receiving an invitation from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. This visit is being looked upon as a significant one in the light of the fact that India and America's ties have strengthened considerably and this is happening in the midst of a growing concern about China's aggression. Besides, there is an ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine which has already had a serious global impact, especially considering the economic fallout. Significantly, since the coming to power of the Modi government in India, the Indo-US relations have reached a new dimension. Modi’s astute leadership and his ability to forge strong relations with international leaders has seen Indo-US relations thrive under three US Presidents -Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, all being of different characteristics. But Modi’s growing stature internationally and his ability to work with leaders with diverse ideologies and approaches to international issues have seen Indo-US relations getting stronger than it ever was in the past. Among many of the important jobs Modi is expected to accomplish during his upcoming US visit, he is going to make history by becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to address the US Congress twice. Internationally speaking, as a Head of Government, Modi will be second only to Benjamin Netanyahu, PM of Israel, who has addressed the US Congress thrice. Just like in Australia, Modi gets bipartisan respect and support in the US, a rarity in modern international political scenarios. But the significance of Modi’s US visit is not just about addressing the US Congress twice as the Head of the government. There are several other parameters to judge the importance of the visit. As to how much the present government in the US accords importance to India and Modi as the leader of the world’s largest democracy with a strong Indian Diaspora can be gauzed from the fact that during the G7 summit held recently in Japan, US President Biden walked up to PM Modi and the two leaders hugged each other warmly. The gesture is a sign of the growing strength of Indo-US relations, with the world’s oldest democracy coming together with the world’s largest democracy. In Quad also, both the countries share understanding of mutual positions on a host of international issues. In fact, the success of Quad and India’s active role in international matters led the US to invite India to join the NATO alliance. Of course, it is a different matter that India has had to balance its relations with both the US and Russia, and India’s domestic interests lie in not joining the alliance as of now. The equations may change as they do in international politics, more so in recent times in a highly volatile international environment.

Then there is the looming China threat. This has necessitated the US to shift its stance, moving more towards Indo-Pacific from its previous stance focusing on Asia-Pacific. This reveals the shift in US policy that is according greater importance to India vis-à-vis China. From an Indian perspective, a strong alliance with the US is the need of the hour given the fact that China’s aggressive border stance is a threat to India’s unity, integrity and sovereign authority within its territory. It is, therefore, important to rein in China by pressuring it, and for that the alliance with the US is of great significance. The US also perceives India as an ally that can assist in reducing the immense threat posed by China.

Then there are rich dividends

Modi’s visit to the US will in all likelihood usher in an era of strong Indo-US trade relations. Currently, there is a lot of scope for the Indo-US trade relations to grow and become stronger benefiting both the countries. It now stands at USD 190 billion, while leaders of both nations are keen to take it to USD 500 billion annually. Besides defense, there are trade possibilities in the fields of e-commerce, supply chain manufacturing, digital economy, FinTech, energy and aerospace. There is a big defense deal on the cards during the Indian Prime Minister’s US visit. The deal comprises the domestic manufacturing of American jet engines used in the Indian fighter aircraft. It is likely to be signed between General Electric (GE) of the US and Hindustan Aeronautics of India. Moreover, there is a possibility of a deal worth Rs 22,000 crores between India and the US to buy 30 MQ-9 B armed drones.

Besides the Indo-US relations catapulting to new heights with Modi’s visit, leaders in the US are looking forward to taking this relation to new heights making it more meaningful than it was in the past.

Then, Prime Minister Modi is also likely to address the Indian Diaspora in the US who will gather in Washington on June 23. Modi has always made it a point to address the Indian Diaspora wherever he goes. He did it in Australia during his recent visit. Prime Minister Modi is likely to address the Indian Diaspora and emphasize their role in giving India the strength to grow economically and have the confidence to take its independent position in foreign policy matters.

Since elections are going to take place next year in both the countries, Prime Minister Modi and President Biden would like to project to their voters a strong and prudent foreign policy initiative. In that context, Modi’s visit to the US assumes significance. This visit is also significant from an international perspective, as both China and Pakistan will be watching it closely. The international power structure is fast changing with India taking on an important role and asserting itself like never before. With Indo-US relations becoming stronger, there will be a better balance of power in the world.